Launch Control

Launch control are a Punk-Rock trio from Berkshire, England after who released their first EP in 2012 titled ‘Cardiac Arrest’ are planning on releasing their second EP ‘Cardiac Arrest part 2′ in late September. We managed to catch up with this trio after their set at Caversham Music Festival to have an interesting discussion with Lee (Lead singer and guitarist), Alex (Bassist) and Seb (Drummer) even though we were interrupted by Lee’s fan girls.

How long have you guys been together?

Lee: That’s a good question, Alex and I (Lee) have been in various bands for about twelve years. We were in a band called ‘Gimble’ before, for a long long time, we formed Launch Control about 3 years ago and Seb joined us about a year ago.

Alex: About three years, yeah

What made you guys want to play in a band?

Lee: Bitches and bling, that’s what I’m in it for. Alex what made you want to be in a band? Was it meeting me?

Alex: I think we just wanted to play some punk songs, really didn’t we?

Lee: We started the band as a college project, we were in media studies together and we made music videos, so we made our own song. That’s how we started being in a band together and its just got more and more since we found our Sebdog. What made you want to start drumming Seb?

Seb: I just like hitting things.

Alex: I guess when we started getting into punk and pop punk though, you can just start a band, it’s not easy, but you can just pick up an instrument with a few chords and write a song.

Lee: It’s very accessible really

What’s the weirdest thing to ever happen to you guys at a gig?

Alex: There are too many weird things, just today at our gig; there was a homeless man with just a quarter of his face painted, sort of almost heckling us while we were playing, but loving us at the same time.

Lee: And there was a woman really over the top moshing

Alex: And then the same guy was caught stealing stuff from the merchandise stand half way through the set.

Lee: He was a character

Alex: Actually that was a weird thing, at one of our first gigs with Seb the sound guy comes up to him and just says “Fuck you’re tall”.

So where did the name Launch Control come from?

Lee: Well one day I was just looking at some boobies, and I was like you know what would be a good name for a band? But apparently ‘I love boobies’ was taken so we went with Launch Control instead.

Alex: Our old band Gimble was sort of still going. But we were talking about doing a side project, and I think you just wanted a name you knew I would sign off on didn’t you?

Lee: Basically yeah. The name Gimble came from Alex watching Apollo 13, so we sort of had this space theme going.

Alex: I do love space.

Lee: He does, so Launch Control just seemed like quite a cool name, that’s the only explanation though.

Seb: And it’s catchy

Alex: So is syphilis though.

Lee: I might call my daughter Syphilis

Alex: I think Chlamydia is a nicer name.

So you guys are recording at the moment, are you excited?

Lee: Yeah, its Cardiac Arrest part 2 so hopefully it fits well with the first one, its better and this one has Seb in it.

So tell us a unique fact about each of you, something people don’t know.

Lee: Seb is in a marching band

Alex: I collect Ghostbusters figures, I have seven. £20 a pop, I have seven you do the maths. And I plan on getting another one soon, you know, treat myself.

Lee: I’m a big Joss Whedon fan and I’m gonna book in to get a tattoo called the Mark of Eyghon on my arm which is from an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

So how do you guys write your songs?

Alex: We don’t

Seb: You mean how Lee does?

Lee: I write the songs, these guys just play drums and guitar. Alex is really good at cutting the fat out of them. He’s just like I like it but take 3 of those verses out of it, remove all those words, give me a catchy bit and why doesn’t it have a chorus?

Alex: And then we work on it from there

Lee: And then we just give it to Seb and tell him to play it faster.

Alex: Yeah, we give it to Seb and tell him he has to play the double time punk rock beat or he’s out of the band.

Lee: Yep, that’s kind of it.

What’s your guys’ favorite performance to date?

Alex: I loved that one just now, that was awesome.

Lee: But that sounds a bit cliché

Alex: Otherwise while it was without Seb we played the 360 club supporting ‘Kings Foil’ who have Frankie Munez from Malcolm in the Middle as their drummer.

Lee: Another weird thing that happened at a gig, half way through our set I look up and see Malcolm from Malcolm in the Middle stood watching us play. He was just like ‘yeah I like this.’ That was pretty odd.

Alex: Yeah.

If reincarnation is real…

Lee: Which its not

What would you like to be reincarnated as?

Alex: I’d like to come back as a dinosaur, a velociraptor

Lee: That’s a really good choice; I’d like to come back as a Goose.

Alex: But geese are mean?

Seb: I’d like to be a bird of some kind, just so I can shit on people’s heads.

What band or person got you into music?

Alex: It is a massive cliché but Blink 182

Lee: I think who got me into punk music has to be Goldfinger.

Seb: I just like hitting stuff. I don’t know really, someone local probably.